Kids and Officers Ready to Tackle Lake Erie
On July 26, Edgewater Park was inundated with excited kids and dedicated patrol officers who gathered for the 6th annual fishing event. Sponsored by Safety Director Mike McGrath, a perfect weather day made the outing extraordinary. After arriving, the kids went through an instructional presentation by our “Passion For Fishing” expert Bob Knox as the officers eagerly awaited the start of the fishing expedition. The near capacity crowd of kids, officers, volunteers and crew left the marina in the 65 foot Holiday charter boat in search of any fish that were willing to gobble the juicy worms provided by boat Captain Wayne Bratton. Approximately one hour later, I received a call from Captain Bratton out on the lake, reporting that the kids and officers were reeling them in! The boat returned a few hours later with a mixed bag of fish and a boatload of smiling faces. A shore lunch was provided after which the kids had the opportunity to visit with officers from the K-9 Unit, Motorcycle Unit, and Mounted Unit. Photos were taken as the kids posed for pictures in the S.W.A.T. Unit vehicle. I have been setting up these fishing outings for four years now and it never gets old to see the smiles on the faces of the kids as they exit the boat after fishing side by side with our officers. The kids are also learning first hand that these officers are volunteering their time and effort to ensure that they are going to remember this day for a long time to come. It is also a pleasure for me to see the officers exit the boat with smiles just as wide as the kids’! A big thank you goes out to all that helped to make this event a success!!…..Bob Guttu (Cleveland Police Foundation)